Hip Pain Treatment on the Gold Coast
Groin ache, pain on the outside of the hip, or trouble with stairs and sleeping on that side? Our physiotherapists and podiatrists assess the hip together with the back, knee and foot, then treat what is actually driving it.
What to expect
- Assessment and first treatment in the same appointment
- No GP referral required
- Pre-surgery and post-surgery rehabilitation
- Health fund rebates claimed on the spot
- FREE on-site parking behind the clinic
Podiatry and physio together
Both in the one clinic — and we move you across if the other one is the better fit.
No referral needed
Book straight in. Medicare care plans, DVA and NDIS patients welcome.
Health fund rebates on the spot
HICAPS in the clinic — claim as you pay and only settle the gap.
FREE on-site parking
Car park behind the clinic on Olsen Avenue, Arundel, plus free street parking.
Where the pain is felt is not always where it comes from
“Hip pain” means different things to different people. Pain deep in the groin usually points to the hip joint itself. Pain on the outside, over the bony point, is more often tendon or bursa related. Pain across the back of the hip and into the buttock can be coming from the lower back or the pelvis.
They are not the same problem and they do not respond to the same treatment, which is why the assessment matters more here than almost anywhere else.
Load is the other half of the story. The hip carries a large share of your body weight with every step, and how your foot and knee behave underneath it changes how that load arrives.
Our assessment covers the hip, the lower back and the chain below it, along with strength, movement and how you walk — so the plan deals with the cause as well as the symptoms.
Hip pain disturbing your sleep? Have it properly assessed.
What causes hip pain?
Gluteal tendinopathy
Pain over the bony point on the outside of the hip, often worst lying on that side at night or standing on one leg. One of the most common presentations we see, and frequently mislabelled as bursitis.
Hip osteoarthritis
Groin pain, stiffness after rest, and gradual loss of rotation. Strength and movement work has a real role here, both on its own and as preparation if a joint replacement is on the horizon.
Hip impingement and labral pain
Pinching in the groin at the end of range, often with deep squatting or prolonged sitting. More common in younger, active people.
Referred from the lower back
Back and pelvis problems commonly refer into the buttock and outer hip. If that is the source, treating the hip alone will not get far — see sciatica.
Muscle and tendon strain
Hamstring origin, adductor or hip flexor injuries, typically after sport or a sudden increase in activity. These respond well to graded loading.
Load coming from below
Foot and ankle mechanics change how force travels up the leg. Where that is a factor, addressing it is part of settling the hip — see foot mobilisation.
Hip replacement rehabilitation
If a hip replacement is planned, the strength and movement you take into it matter. We can build a pre-operative programme around your surgeon’s timeline so you go in as well prepared as possible.
Afterwards we work to your surgeon’s protocol — restoring movement and walking pattern first, then strength, then the activities that matter to you. Many people find the walking pattern they adopted while the hip was painful takes deliberate work to undo.
If you are months or years post-operation and still not moving as you would like, that is worth assessing.
How we treat hip pain
What goes into your plan depends on which of the above we find — and most people get a combination.
Targeted strengthening
For tendon-related hip pain in particular, progressive loading of the gluteal muscles is the treatment with the best support behind it. It takes consistency over weeks rather than days, and we will be straight with you about that.
Hands-on treatment and joint mobilisation
Where the hip, pelvis or lower back are stiff, manual therapy can help restore movement and make the exercise work more comfortable and more effective.
Load and position advice
For gluteal tendon pain especially, a handful of changes — how you sit, how you stand waiting, which side you sleep on and what you put between your knees — often make a noticeable difference early.
Walking and movement retraining
Pain changes how you move, and the altered pattern frequently outlasts the original problem. Retraining it is a specific piece of work.
Footwear and orthotic therapy where appropriate
Where foot mechanics are contributing to the load on the hip, addressing them can be part of the plan. We will explain the reasoning and the alternatives — see orthotics.
Imaging, GP and specialist referral
Where imaging or an orthopaedic opinion is warranted we will organise it and write to your GP. Where it is unlikely to change the plan, we will tell you that too.
What happens at your first appointment
Your story
Exactly where the pain is, what brings it on, what it stops you doing, and how it behaves at night.
Assessment
Hip movement and strength, the lower back and pelvis, the knee and foot below, and how you walk and manage a step.
Explanation
Which structure we think is involved, why it has become painful, and a realistic timeframe for it.
Treatment and plan
Hands-on treatment where appropriate, your starting exercises, and the specific changes to make before the review.
Book a hip assessment — appointments are usually available within days.
Hip pain FAQs
Why does it hurt most at night?
Lying on the painful side compresses the tendons on the outside of the hip against the bone. Lying on the other side with the top leg dropped forward does something similar. A pillow between the knees and a change of sleeping position is often one of the first things we suggest, and for many people it helps within a week or two.
Is it bursitis?
“Bursitis” is the label a lot of outer hip pain gets, but current evidence suggests tendon changes are more commonly the main issue, with the bursa irritated secondarily. It matters because the treatment differs — tendons generally respond to graded loading rather than to rest and repeated injections.
Do I need a scan?
Often not. A careful examination distinguishes most hip presentations. Imaging is useful where the history is unusual, where a significant structural problem is suspected, or where a surgical opinion is being considered.
Can you help if I have already had a hip replacement?
Yes, both as part of the planned rehabilitation and later on if things have not progressed as you hoped. Bring any instructions from your surgeon to the first appointment and we will work within them.
Should I stop walking?
Usually not. More often we adjust the distance, the surface or the hills for a period while the strengthening gets going, then build it back. Your clinician will give you a specific guide rather than a blanket rule.
Do I need a referral?
No. Book directly. Medicare Chronic Condition Management Plans, DVA and NDIS are all accepted — bring your paperwork and we will process it in the clinic.
Hip to Toe, Arundel
138 Olsen Avenue, Arundel
Gold Coast, QLD 4214
Near the corner of Central Street, between Harbour Town and the Gold Coast University Hospital.
Phone: 07 5571 7329
Email: reception@hiptotoe.com.au
Getting here
FREE on-site parking in the car park behind the clinic, plus free street parking out the front.
Ramped entrances, a disability parking bay and an accessible bathroom. If you’d like a hand getting in, call ahead and we’ll make sure someone can meet you.
Book your hip assessment
Assessment, explanation and first treatment in the one appointment. No referral needed, health fund rebates on the spot, free parking out the back.
Related: knee pain, sciatica, physiotherapy and foot mobilisation.
